Important Facts About Traveling With Your Ferret

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Travel carrier: The carrier that the pet will travel in should be escape proof, well ventilated, and be large enough to allow the pet to go to the bathroom in a corner and not soil itself when sleeping. The carrier should also have a solid floor of a material the pet can’t chew through and have a secure lock. The carrier can be a safe, friendly home to your ferret and he or she should be kept in it at all times when unattended.

Medications: Make sure you have an adequate supply of any medications that your ferret is currently taking. For medications the ferret needs continuously, bring more than will be needed on the trip in case some of it is spilled or damaged.

Airlines will not take pets into the hold area if the outside temperature is either cold or extremely hot because the pet may have to sit in a carrier outside the plane while waiting to be loaded. If the ferret is going in the cabin, the outside temperature is not a problem.

Health Certificate: This may be required in some areas where you are staying. Have a health exam performed a few days before your trip and carry your certificate with you.

Please do not remove him/her from the carrier while on board unless there is an emergency if you do take your ferret on public transportation. Your pet may be frightened by the new experience and you will greatly increase the chances of a bite or an escape to an unsuspecting passenger.

Food and water: Bring plenty of food along and protect it from extremes in heat as this may alter its nutritional value. Water can be provided in a bottle or bowl during rest stops. You can put ice chips in the water to cool your pet if the weather is very hot.

In addition to the outright legality of ferrets you need to know about the procedure in the case of a ferret bite. Even in ferret legal states, ferrets are still considered wild animals and problems are handled by the Fish and Game Departments as well as Public Health.

Obviously you need to call ahead and make sure that the motel, hotel or camp ground or relatives house allows pets. If you get caught doing this, there may be a hefty fine as well as the possibility of confiscation of your pets if you are in a ferret-restricted area.

If you do not have access to a car or have to travel a long distance you can choose from buses, trains and planes. I made some calls regarding what public modes of transportation would allow ferrets on board, and I received a definite NO to any pets from the Chicago suburban train and bus companies.

WHAT TO BRING
Medical Records: I highly recommend that anyone traveling with their ferret bring a copy of their pet’s medical records. It goes without saying your ferret should be up to date on vaccinations before to going on the trip.

Traveling with your furry ferret friends can be an enjoyable experience if you do some careful planning and take a few precautions before you set out on your journey. As much as we love our pets, not everyone feels the same and in the case of ferrets, some people who are uneducated on the sweet nature of these critters, can be downright unpleasant about having them around.

” Air conditioner”: If you will be traveling in very hot weather you need to make sure that your car’s air conditioning system is in good working order. If you put the bottle inside the carrier or cage make sure it is securely fastened so your ferret doesn’t accidentally get injured in case it shifts in the cage.

Probably the best way to travel with your pet is in your own car. In this way you can control the important things such as when to stop for eating, resting and playing and you can control the temperature to which your pet is exposed.

Microchip number or certificate: I recommend that if you travel with your pet you should get it microchipped and carry the registration number with you. A great number of veterinarians in the country as well as animal shelters and animal control agencies have scanners to read microchips and if your pet is lost it can be more readily returned to you if it has a permanent form of identification. Contact your veterinarian for more information on the simple microchipping procedure.

Tranquilizers: I do not recommend the use of tranquilizers when traveling with ferrets. Ferrets adapt to travel very well without adding the use of tranquilizers. If your ferret seems very frightened by traveling in the car, you might consider taking it for short rides at home and building up its tolerance to travel before embarking on a long trip.

WHERE TO STAY
The first thing to consider when planning your stay is to make sure that ferrets are legal at that location. Remember that even within ferret-friendly states, ferrets may be illegal in certain cities, I just had a client relate a harrowing experience she had with her ferrets in Dallas, Texas which is a ferret legal state, but they where they are illegal in the city.

Airplanes are the most commonly used method of long distance travel, so I checked on some airlines to see which ones would accept ferrets on in the cabin. Out of nine major airlines only two, Delta and America West, allowed ferrets inside the cabin with the passenger. Most of the airlines allow only dogs, cats and small birds in the passenger area and allow ferrets only in the cargo area.
having ferrets in the cabin.

Traveling with your furry ferret friends can be an enjoyable experience if you do some careful planning and take a few precautions before you set out on your journey. Remember that even within ferret-friendly states, ferrets may be illegal in certain cities, I just had a client relate a harrowing experience she had with her ferrets in Dallas, Texas which is a ferret legal state, but they where they are illegal in the city. In addition to the outright legality of ferrets you need to know about the procedure in the case of a ferret bite. A few ferret legal locations in the country do not recognize the effectiveness of the rabies vaccine and may confiscate your ferret after a bite regardless of its vaccination status. Even in ferret legal states, ferrets are still considered wild animals and problems are handled by the Fish and Game Departments as well as Public Health.

A FINAL NOTE … LETTING STRANGERS HANDLE YOUR FERRET
I wish the world was altogether a friendlier place to ferrets, but the truth is, in some areas it is not. There are a wide variety of consequences if your ferret bites someone on your trip ranging from a delay in your trip due to quarantine of your pet to confiscation and euthanasia of your pet. As mentioned, in some areas even if your ferret is properly vaccinated for rabies, he or she could be confiscated if a human is bitten.